Company identifies 3 killed in helicopter crash

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two northwest Missouri medics and a pilot from South Dakota have been identified as three of the four people who died when a medical helicopter crashed into a field northeast of Kansas City.

Colorado-based Air Methods Corp. identified employees of its subsidiary LifeNet as 47-year-old Randy Bever, a flight nurse from Savannah, Mo.; 36-year-old Chris Frakes, a flight paramedic from Savannah; and 34-year-old James Freudenberg, a pilot from Rapid City, S.D.

A 58-year-old female patient also was killed.

The crash happened at 6:41 p.m. Friday near Mosby, 20 miles northeast of Kansas City. Her identity wasn't immediately available.

Transportation officials say the pilot had reported being low on fuel before the helicopter went down, but the cause of the crash might not be known for months.